seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim,each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LordAlmighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
a. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
This is from toughquestionsanswered.org.
In verses 8-10, God asks for a volunteer and Isaiah steps up. What message would God have Isaiah deliver the people of Judah? Isaiah is to preach to Judah just as he has in the first five chapters of the book. He is to pronounce judgment on their sins and demand that they turn back to God.
However, God makes it clear to Isaiah that the more he preaches, the less the people will see, hear, or understand what he says to them. His preaching will be completely ineffective in bringing Judah to repentance. If God knows that the people will not repent, then why bother sending Isaiah?
Even though God knows every human decision before it is ever made, in this instance He also allowed Isaiah to know. Perhaps this was grace from God to help Isaiah through the difficult years of his ministry. Isaiah always knew that his preaching was decreed by God, regardless of whether it ever changed anyone’s mind.
Isaiah asks God how long the people of Judah will refuse to repent. God responds that Judah will be destroyed and its people deported. This would occur when the Babylonians attack in 586 BC, some 100 years after Isaiah’s death, thus Judah would not listen to him during his lifetime. Not all will be lost, however. God would preserve a remnant of believers, a holy seed that would someday grow into the renewed people of God.
These comments are from enduringword.com.The train of His robe filled the temple: Kings of that time would wear robes with long trains, because they were difficult to maneuver and work in. Wearing a long train meant, “I am important enough that I don’t have to work. I am a person of honor and dignity. Others must serve me and wait upon me.” Essentially, the same is said when a bride wears a dress with a long train today.
Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: Isaiah saw his sinfulness, and the sinfulness of his people, mainly in terms of sinful speech.
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts: Isaiah was a righteous, godly man by all outward appearance. Yet when he saw the enthroned King, the LORD of hosts, he saw how sinful he was in comparison.
Go and tell these people, “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing but do not perceive”: God told Isaiah to go and preach to a people who wouldn’t respond, so that their guilt would be certain. As Trapp wrote, Isaiah would “Preach them to hell.”
The heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes: This is an unsatisfying audience and ministry for any preacher. Isaiah might not be satisfied with this ministry. The people might not be satisfied with it. But God would be satisfied with it.
And understand with their heart, and return and be healed: This shows what the word of God can accomplish when it is received with open eyes, ears, and heart. It brings understanding to our heart, it makes us return, and it brings healing to our lives. If you are under the word of God and these things aren’t happening to you, ask God to work with your eyes, ears, and heart!
I know it's a "vision" because Isaiah says he "saw" God sitting on the throne. Isaiah took time from his day to sit down and think about God. Isaiah felt a need to tell people about God but he didn't think he could. What if this "message" he was bringing was the wrong message? What if he really had no right to be talking this way? What if he was telling people the wrong thing? What if instead of bringing people to God... he turned them away? What if he picked the wrong commentary to learn from? What if he accidentally twisted the meaning of the verses? After all, Isaiah didn't have a leather bound thumper or an online Bible or online commentary.... Isaiah didn't even have a scroll to go by.... how would he do it right?????God told Isaiah that his audience would not get it. Isaiah was probably plagued by ways he could have said things clearer or louder.... but God warned him.... the people were only taking up pew space.... putting in their time.... doing the bare minimum..... God told Isaiah they wouldn't hear what he had to say..... but he had to say it so that the humans he was talking to couldn't say... they didn't know..... God made sure they knew....
I'm the oldest of five kids. I cannot begin to count the number of times I was told "go in there and tell them". I had an abusive mom.... wasn't her fault... she was the second oldest of seven kids.... corporal punishment was the rule.... and she carried it down. When my mom told me to "go in there and tell them"... those words would strike fear in my heart.... I knew someone was about to go to the switch bush.... I knew leaves were going to be removed and a thin piece of wood was soon going to be whistling. I was the oldest.... and in my house.... oldest was supposed to take care of the younger.... and sometimes I had to take their beatings because they were too little. I know what it's like to be afraid to "go in there and tell them" because a consequence is on the way.
Why in the world would a six year old take a beating for their little brother or sister? What on earth could a six year old do that would require those red stripes to appear? What could a three year old or a toddler do? I told my mom I was going to tell on her..... when I got to public school I did tell on her. It didn't go easy for me.... and my sisters and brother still don't believe it. They don't remember the first years. She had fits after that... but it almost stopped in comparison.
People won't listen to others telling them to straighten up and fly right..... people think they are doing it right..... but right has been redefined over the years. Isaiah didn't have a Bible. Isaiah didn't have a Scroll. He had clean lips..... a fresh way to warn the people.... and the desire.
At the end of this chapter.... it talks about leaving the tree stump. Trees grow back! God knew that the Babylonians would leave the poor behind..... a remnant.... a few ..... the stump.... and they would grow back.
